Label applying mechanism



April 11, 1939. w, voN HOFE LABEL APPLYING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 15, 1957 INVENTOR Pit man. 11, 1939 4 2,154,222

'George W. von flofe, Bound Brook, N; -J., assignor New Jersey e Corporation, Hoboken, J a corporation of New Jersey Application April 15. 1937, Seriai'No. 136,996 6 Claims. (01. 216-55) The invention relates to mechanisms-for applying labels to elements and articles and has for its object to provide novel means whereby the application of the labels may be accomplished in an accurateand uniform manner. The invention contemplates further the provision of'novel mechanism whereby the application of labels in predetermined positions upon the elements and articles for which said labels are designed'is facilitated to a maximum extent. Other more specific objects will appear from the description hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the claims.

In. the accompanying drawings, which show- .end of the stack in the hopper H and transferring said individual labels in succession to the point of, application to the elements or articles for which the labels'are designed. As shown. in the drawings, the label transferring means referred to above is of the suction operated type and includes a carriage. l3 slidably mounted upon a horizontal guide rail ll 1 supported on the frame In in .any convenient manner. The carriage I3 is arranged to be slidm ably reciprocated on the rail H in any well known way in proper operative synchronism with the other parts of the machine, as for instance by means of an arm i fixed upon a shaft It suitexamples of the invention without defining its ably journaled on the frame. Ill. It will be unlimits, Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation. derstood that suitable provision is made to oppartly in section, of a machine embodying the eratively rock the shaft It in a manner to pronovel mechanism; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front duce the desired results; the specific means for elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a detail plan view; rocking the shaft it, per se, forms no part of the Fig. 4 is a detail side view of a portion of the novel mechanism and has not been illustrated as novel mechanism, and Figs. 5 and 6 are fragit is well known and may be of any suitable exmentary elevations looking at right angles to isting typehe free End Of the arm is D each other showing another form of the novel ally c nnected wi h a p i rod II w h in mechanism. turn is pivotally and yieldingly connected with,

For the purpose of illustrating and describing a lug l8 forming part of or fixed upon the carthe novel features thereof, thelabel applying mechanism is shown installed in a labeling machine of a' type for which it is'specially designed.

' It is to be understood, however, that this is in no sense intended to restrict the field of usefulness of said mechanism, and that the latter is adapted for eflicient'combination with many other types of labeling machines or their equivalent.

The labeling machine shown in the drawings includes a frame III of suitable construction and dimensions on which a hopper ll issupported in any convenient way. The hopper llis arranged to contain a supply of labels A in the form of a stack resting upon the bottom I! of said hopper II as illustrated in Fig. 1; as is customary in labeling machines of the type shown, the

bottom I2 is vertically movable upward at intervals determined by the progressively diminishing height of the stack due to the removal of successive labels A therefrom. The purpose of the aforesaid upward movements 'of the bottom I2 is to periodically restore the upper end of the stack of labels A to a predetermined level. As none of these elements, per se, constitute a part of the novel mechanism, it' has not been deemed necessary to show the same in detail.

The illustrated example of labeling machines for which the novel mechanism is adapted, further includes suitable means for successively removing the individual labels Asfrom the upper riage 13 as shown in Fig. 1.

The carriage l3 serves as a support for a vertically movable member terminating at its lower end in a yoke iiiwhich in turn supports a suctionhead 20 of any conventional type suitable for the purpose; the suction head 20, in any case,

is connected with a source of suction, for instance, by means of a tube 2!. Suitable provision is made, as is customary in labeling machines of the type illustrated, for automatically controlling the suction in proper synchronism with theoperations of the machine; such arrangements are well known and as, per se, they form no part of the novel mechanism, it is unnecessary to complicate the drawings with detail illustrations thereof.

- In addition the labeling machine is constructed 4 1 The labeling machine further is generally provided with means for developing a pressure upon' the labels subsequent to their initial application to the elements or articles by the suction head 20, in order to cause said labels to firmly and u said pressure developing means is also well known and accordingly has beenillustrated only to the extent required for a complete and accurate comprehension of the novel features of the label applying mechanism. In the illustrated example of the labeling machines the pressure means consists of a pressure member 22 carried, by a'plunger 23 vertically slidable in a guideway 24 suitably supported in proper position upon the frame ID. The pressure member 22 may be vertically actuated in operative synchronism with the other parts of the machine by means of a lever 29 loosely mounted on the shaft l9 and connected with suitable and conventional operating means through the-medium of a connecting member 26.

Inlabeling machines of the type selected for purposes of illustration, the individual labels A, after having been picked up from the stack in the hopper H,- are provided with a coating of adhe-' sive during the transfer of said labels to the point of application to the elements or articles.

For this purpose the labeling machine includes adhesive applying means consisting, for instance,

of an adhesive applying roll 21 and anfadhesive distributing roll 28. located in tangential relation to the roll 21 and dipping into a supply of adhesive in a container 29 as shown in Fig. 1. The arrangement is such that the labels, during; transfer by the suction head 29 to the point of application pass in tangential contact with the adhesive applying roll 21 and receive a coating of adhesive thereupon. Take-oi! means in the form of flngers' or strippers 21* is generally provided to prevent the labels from adhering to said roll 21.

As so far described, the machine may be of any well known and conventional type, the illustrated construction having been selected merely to enable the novel label applying mechanism which is described hereinafter to be easily and fully understood.

The novel mechanism consists of a support, which, as illustrated inFigs. 1 to 4 inclusive, may be in the form of a table 29 of predetermined dimensions and shape and carried by a member 30; preferably the table 29 is, detachably secured upon the member 30, for instance, by means of a bracket 3| and screws or bolts 32. To provide for the accommodation of elements and articles of diflerent types and dimensions, the table 29 is vertically adJustable as by slidably mounting the j member 90 in a guide bracket 33 suitably positioned on the frame Ill of the machine; a clamping plate 94 and clamping screws 35 or their equivalent serve to clamp the member 90 against movement relatively to the guide bracket 33 and to thereby fix the table 29 in an adjusted position.

In practice the application of labels to elements or articles having inherent characteristics ments or articles on the support or table in label receiving position. Furthermore, the application of labels at predetermined parts of the surfaces of hollow elements or articles is greatly facilitated by providing the mechanism with means for resisting the pressure developed by the label applying means and thereby preventing collapse of said smoothly adhere to said elements or articles. The

elements or articles in the operation of applying labels thereto.

The means for locating the articles or elements, for instance, rectangular box covers a, in predetermined label-receiving position upon the support or table 29, consists'of a positioning device 36 arranged to provide a right-angle recess for the accommodation of a corner of the box cover a as indicated in Fig. 3. It will be understood that the device 9Q, instead of providing a right-angle recess, may be otherwise constructed in dependence upon the shape and nature of the elements or articles to be labeled. In any case, the device 96 may be secured to or form part of a carryingplate 91 which is mounted upon an angle-bar" and is provided with a slot 99 and-bolt 49 to enable the device 39 to be adjusted to different positions and flxed therein. To increase the range and variety oil-adjustment of the device 99 the depending flange of the angle-bar 98 may include a slot II for the accommodation of setscrews 2 whereby said angle-bar I8 is adJustably mounted upon a supportingv bracket 49. To still further increase the range and variety of adjustment of the device 99 the supporting bracket 49 is slidably mounted upon a supporting bar 44 which itself is fixed in place upon a stationary bracket 45 by means of screws or bolts 49 as shown in Fig. 2; a set screw 41 or the like serves to secure the supporting bracket 43 in place upon the'supporting bar ll.

I The means for resisting the pressure developed by the label applying means on the box cover a or its equivalent, comprises a pressure resisting member or head 49 carried by aplunger 49 and preferably fastened in ,place thereon by means of screws or bolts 59 so as to be readily detachable. The plunger 49 is vertically slidable in guide bearings 5| which, as shown in Fig. .1, may comprise parts of the guide bracket 99; the vertical movements of the plunger 49 correspondingly move the member or head 48 to. and from its operative position, the table, 29 being provided with an opening 52 for the passage of the head 49 during the aforesaid 'operations.

Any suitable means may be provided for automatically operating the plunger 49 and head 49 in vertical directions, in operative synchronism with the label applying means. For instance, as shownin Fig. 1, the plunger 49 may rest upon one arm of a bell-crank. lever 59 pivoted at M on the ,frame II and having its other arm provided with aroller I! in rolling contact with a cam I9. latter is fixed upon a shaft 91 journalled in the frame l0 and operated in any convenient manner to produce the desired results. Al'spring II has its one .enddfastened at 99 to the plunger '49 and its other end connected with a stationary eyelet 60, and serves to yieldingiy maintain the plunger 49 in engagement with the bell-crank lever 93 and the roller of the latter in contact with the cam 59. The'arrangement is such that themher or head 48 is located in proper vertical registry with the label applying means as exemplified by the suction head 29' and the pressureinember 22, so as to most eiliciently resist the label applying pressure developed thereby, as will appear more fully hereinafter.

-In' describing the operation of the novel mechanism, it will be assumed that the labeling machine is being used for applying small labels to rectangular box covers at one corner of the label receiving surface thereof.

Under such conditions, the positioning device 99 is adjusted in a predetermined position dependent upon the dimensions of the box covers a and the point thereon at which the labels are to be located; in other words, when the device 3 has I been fixed in its adjusted position, it is simply necessary to place one corner of the cover a in the right-angle recess of the device 36 in order to accurately locate the cover a on the table 29 in the predetermined label receiving position as 10 shown, for instance. by dotted lines in Fig. 3. It will be understood that during the placing of the coversa in position upon the table 29, the head 48 is located in the opening 52 below the upper surface of the table 2! so as not to interfere with ii the aforesaid operations.

As the operation of the labeling machine proceeds, the carriage I3 is reciprocated on the rail H and, at one terminal of the reciprocation, the suction head 20 is actuated to lift a terminal label II A from the stack in the hopper II and then to transfer it to the other terminal of said reciprocation, that is, to the point of application. During its transfer fromthe stack to the application point, the label A carried by the suction head 25 2! is passed over and in tangential engagement with the adhesive applying roll 21 and thus reinto contact with the label receiving surface of the box cover a. Either coincidentally with the aforesaid initial application of the label A to the box cover a, or preferably just prior thereto, the 86 bell-crank lever 53 is operated by the cam to lift the plunger 49 against the tension of the spring 58 and to correspondingly raise the head 40 to the operative position 'illustrated'in Figs. 1 and 2. In any case, the head 48 will support the label receiving surface of the cover a from below and in registry with the point at which the label is to be applied, at the moment when the suctionhead 20 initially applies the label A to the cover a. As the operation of the labeling machine pro- 5 ceeds, the suction in the suction head 20 will be relieved to release the label A and permit it to adhere, without interference. to the box cover a, and the suction head 20 will then be raised and shifted into position to pick up another terminal 50 label A from the stack in the hopper II. In

proper sequence of operation the pressure member 22 is actuated to develop a pressure upon the previously applied label whereby the latter is caused to smoothly and firmly adhere to the cover 56 a. The pressure developed upon the box cover a by the pressure member 22 during the aforesaid operative steps, will be efiiciently resisted by the head 48 which at this stage still occupies its operative position to support the top of the cover a w from below in registry with the applied label A. a

The box cover a. or its equivalent, is thereby protected against collapse and other injury and at the same time the application of the label A to the box cover a or its equivalent, is materially improved and facilitated. When the application of the label A has been completed, the cam 56 will permit the bell-crank lever 53 to be pivotally actuated and the plunger 49 to be moved 15 position on the table 28 in label receiving podtion whereupon the operations described above are repeated.

It will be noted that the support or table 22 may be raised or lowered to different set positions in order to properly accommodate articles or 'ele-' 6 ments of different dimensions, as for instance covers a of varying depths, and. to position the same in place to be properly acted on by the label applying means and the head ll. Similarly, the device 38 may be adjusted in a variety of 10 ways to meet the requirements of different types of articles or elements to which labels are to be applied.

The arrangement illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 exemplifies a form of the novel mechanism designed to support articles or elements having special inherent characteristics as to shape and type which present diiliculties in the accurate positioning of said articles or elements in label receiving position. In the specific construction co disclosed in Figs. 5 and 6, the support 22' is shown in a form designed to support cylindrical articles such as cans, bottles and the like, in position to receive the labels; as shown in Fig. 6,

- thesupport is provided with a converging as recess 29'' for the accommodation of ,a bottle a or its equivalent.

As in the form first described, the support 28' is carried by a member 2' corresponding to the member 30 of the form first described and like- 30 wise mounted for vertical adjustment for instance, in a guide bracket similar to the guide bracket 32 of Figs. 1 and 2.

In the form now being described, the means for locating thearticles or elements, such as the 35 bottle 11 in predetermined label-receiving position upon the support 28 comprises a positioning device 36 slidably mounted on the member llwhich is provided with a slot for this purpose. The device 3- may be fixed in an adjusted posi- 40 tion in any conventional manner as by means of a set screw- It.

In practice the positioning device 28' is adjusted to a predetermined position dependent upon the dimensions of the bottles a or their 5 equivalent, and the point thereon at which the labels are to be. located. It will be noted that in its operative position the device 36' projects upwardly beyond the recess 29'' and accordingly provides a stop against which the bottoms of the bottles a are placed; in this way the bottles. a are accurately positioned on the support 29' in proper label receiving position without difilculty and without the necessity for exercising any particular care to secure the desired result. I

The application of the labels to the bottles a or their equivalent, is accomplished in the same way as previously described herein with respect to the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

- tions to properly locate articles or elements of different dimensions in label receiving relation to the label applying means. Similarly the device 35! may be selectively set to automatically locate the articles or elements in predetermined label receiving relation to the label applying means.

In all of its forms the novel mechanism is simple in construction and eflicient in operation and serves to materially'increase the labeling speed of machines in which said mechanism is embodied. The niechanism'may be incorporated in existing labeling machines without dimculty ing machines of varying construction.

Various changes in the specific forms shown vand described may be made within the 'scope'oi' the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim: I e

1. In a labeling machine, the combination of means for applying labels to hollow elements, a support for supporting'said hollow elements in label receiving position, resisting means on said support adjustable to an operative position beyond the supporting surface thereof for internal engagement with said hollow elements to resist the label applying action of said label applying means, and means for automatically shifting said resisting means to and from-its operative position.

2. In a labeling machine, the combination of means for applying labels to hollow elements, a support for supporting said hollow elements in label receiving position, resisting means on said support adjustable to an operative position beyond the supporting surface thereof for internal engagement with said hollow elements to resist the label applying'action of said label applying means, means for shifting said resisting means to and from its operative position, and a positioning device on said support for external engagement with said hollow elements to position the latter on said support in predetermined rela- I tion to said resisting means.

3. In a labeling machine, the combination of means for applying labels to hollow elements, a

I table for supporting said hollow elements in label receiving position and provided with an opening, a resisting head movable upwardly through said opening to an operative position beyond the supporting surface of said table for internal engagement with said hollow elements to resist the label applying action of said label applying means, and means for shifting said head vertically to and from its operative position.

4. In alabelin'g, machine, the combination of means for applying labels to hollow elements, a table vertically adjustable .to different levels for supporting said hollow elements .in label receiving relation to said label applying means, said table being provided with an opening, a resisting head movable upwardly through said opening to an operative position beyond the supporting surface of said table for internal engagement with said hollow elements to resist the label applying action of. said label applying means, a plunger carrying said head, and means for reciprocating said plunger vertically to shift said head to and from its operative position. i

, 5. In a labeling'machine, the combination of means for applying labels to predetermined portions of a given surface of hollow elements having an open end, a support on which said ele-,

ments rest on said open end, resisting means associated with said support and adjustable to an operative position relatively thereto into said elements for internal engagement therewith in registry with said predetermined portions of said surface to resist the label applying action of said label applying means, and means for adjusting said resisting means to and from said operative position.

6. In a labeling machine, the combination of means for applying a label to a predetermined restricted portion of a given surface of a hollow element, means for supporting said hollow element in label receiving position, resisting means associated with said support for internally engaging said element in substantially conterminous registry with said predetermined restricted portion of said surface to resist the label applying action of said label applying means, and means for predetermining the position of said element on said support to thereby automatically bring said predetermined restricted portion of said given surface into operative registry with said label applying means and said resisting means.

GEORGE W. von HOFE. 

